For those of you who know me, know that I am a Big 12 guy through and through. I have been covering the conference for nearly a decade. The love I have for the Big 12 is undeniable.
It’s not often I agree with what others are saying, especially when it comes to other conferences like the Big Ten or SEC. As far as the ACC goes, I don’t mind them. In fact, the Big 12 is in a very similar position as the ACC. It’s no secret that the Big 12 and ACC are looked at differently than the Big Ten and the SEC.
However, when I see someone call out the SEC, my ears perk up nobody who is talking. Earlier this week, SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee spent some time talking about the SEC at ACC media days.
Rhett Lashlee Calls it Like It Is, Finebaum Responds
“As long as the same six schools have won the SEC since 1964, not a single one is different. That’s top-heavy, that’s not depth,” Lashlee made clear, pressing the argument that depth, not just visibility, drives league strength.
It didn’t take long for the mouth of the south, a.k.a. Paul Finebaum, to respond to those remarks made by Lashlee. “First of all, I think Alabama has won about 11 national championships in that period,” Finebaum said. “But that’s not even the main point. If I understand correctly, he’s the head coach at SMU. I bet you know where I’m going here. 1987.”
“That was one of the most comically embarrassing rants I have heard, and I am glad the audio wasn’t clear because I would have come right through that screen,” Finebaum added, presumably while shaking his fist at a cloud.
It’s clear that Rhett’s comments offended Finebaum enough to bring up something from nearly 40 years ago. Back in 1987, Finebaum was starting his radio career in his mid-30’s while Laslee was probably just learning how to use the big boy potty. And I am sorry Paul, but Rhett Lashlee would wipe the floor with you if you ever came at him shaking your fist.
College Football’s Recent Conference Championship History
As for what Lashlee said, it’s true. When you look all the way back to 1964, only six schools have won SEC championships between Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, and Tennessee. To put this into perspective, the Big 12 has had five different conference champions each of the last five seasons (Arizona State, Texas, Kansas State, Baylor and Oklahoma).
And if you look at the ACC over that period of time, they have had four champions over that same five-year period. Meanwhile the SEC has had just two. And if you look a little deeper for the SEC, in the last 11 years Alabama and Georgia have racked up 10 conference titles with LSU being the only other school winning one during that time period.
SEC Fan Boys Don’t Like Facts
So go ahead SEC fans, chant your little three letters because if you aren’t named Alabama or Georgia then those three letters are all you have because your trophy case has been empty for a decade plus now. And don’t tell me the best teams are in the SEC because they haven’t even had a school in the national championship games for the last two years.
I’ll admit, the SEC has some excellent programs, but that doesn’t always translate to being the best conference from top to bottom. The SEC has lacked parity for going on a decade now. It’s the same couple of teams every year. Maybe this is the year where Texas breaks through, but even still, it doesn’t take away from the accurate point that Rhett Lashlee made: The SEC is top heavy and it has been for a long time.
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